


Pro Bono

by hlravensnest_archivist



Category: Highlander: The Raven
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2000-12-31
Updated: 2000-12-31
Packaged: 2018-12-16 22:16:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,471
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11838096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hlravensnest_archivist/pseuds/hlravensnest_archivist
Summary: Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived atHL Raven's Nest. Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address onHL Raven's Nest's collection profile.





	Pro Bono

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Daire, the archivist: this story was originally archived at [HL Raven's Nest](http://fanlore.org/wiki/HL_Raven%27s_Nest). Deciding to give the stories a more long-term home, I began importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in August 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [HL Raven's Nest's collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/hlravensnest/profile).

Pro Bono by RSS

_Pro Bono_

By RSS 

Amanda and Nick are returning from the opera. It shouldn't surprise Amanda that Nick enjoyed it, but it did. Underneath that street cop exterior there's a sophisticated man. Amanda turns the corner and sees a dozen or so flashing lights, then senses another Immortal. The two Immortals glance at each other. Police, ambulance, Immortal, more than likely a new member of the club. Amanda parks her Mercedes then they look for the other Immortal. 

Amanda catches the eye of the other Immortal: Pauline de Romanet. She's talking to a couple of police officers. She looks distraught as she says something and points to Amanda. A police officer walks over to Amanda and Nick. 

"Ms. Montrose." 

"Yes." 

"Ms. de Romanet tells us you are her friend." 

"I am." 

"Then perhaps you could take her home?" 

"Of course. What happened?" 

"She prevented a kidnapping and possible murder. In the process she struck the attacker. He died on the way to the hospital. Right now she needs a friend." 

"I understand." 

Amanda whispers to Nick. "This must be very difficult for her. She's a lifelong pacifist." 

The police officer waves and another police officer brings Pauline to Amanda. 

"We will call you if we need any further information. Here is my card in case you have any questions. Ms. de Romanet, all indications point to his identity was 'The Cowboy'. In any case, an innocent woman is safe because of you." 

Pauline gives a slight nod. "The Cowboy" is the name the police gave to a serial killer who has killed at least four women in Paris over the last month. Amanda extends her hand. 

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Pauline quietly walks with Amanda. "This is Nick Wolfe, a friend of mine." 

"I wish the circumstances were different Mr. Wolfe." 

"So do I, and it's Nick." 

"Do you still live in the same place?" 

"No, we divorced a year ago. I can drive myself home." 

"I know you want to talk about it." Amanda hands Nick her keys. "Follow us." 

"There's no need for this." 

"It couldn't hurt." 

"American?" 

"Yea." 

"All right. My car is across the street." 

It's a white Rolls-Royce Corniche. Amanda smiles as she thinks, _The legal business always does well. Much of what I stole ended up in the hands of lawyers. I've certainly paid Pauline enough over the years to buy this car._

Pauline struggles to open the car. 

"Pauline, this has shaken you up more than you want to admit. Let me drive." Pauline nods concession. 

As Amanda pulls out of the parking space she sees her car, driven by Nick, in the rear view mirror. Amanda's mind drifts back to Pauline's first death. 

* * *

**Paris, 1898**

Amanda drives her new horseless carriage outside the city on a balmy spring day. Amanda senses another Immortal, looks around and sees a woman stumbling and waving furiously. Amanda stops her carriage in front of the woman. The woman looks in her early twenties, her features slightly hidden by the dirt all over her face and clothes. 

"Thank you madam! Someone tried to kill me!" 

Amanda takes the woman into the carriage knowing it was the woman's first death. Before Amanda can tell the woman her new reality, the woman starts to speak. 

"I live in Paris. I assume you are from Paris as well?" 

"What is your name?" 

"Pauline de Romanet." 

"Pauline, there are many things you need to know. Your life is about to change." 

"All that without looking at my hand?" 

"I'm not a fortune teller. I'm the same as you. We are Immortals." 

"I see." 

Amanda can tell from Pauline's tone she's just trying to humor Amanda. "That sensation you're feeling...you'll feel it every time you are near another one of us." 

"What's your scheme?" 

"It's no scheme." 

"Take me home, you'll be amply rewarded, don't worry about that." 

"I don't want your money." 

It crosses Amanda's mind how she never thought she would hear herself say such words. Amanda takes off her broach. 

"I hate this part." Amanda scratches her face with the broach. "Look!" 

Pauline looks shocked that Amanda would do such a thing to herself. Seconds later Pauline regains her composure. 

"That's a good trick but carnival acts have long since ceased to amuse me." 

"It's no trick!" 

Amanda realizes Pauline is a modern woman, the supernatural has no place in her world. Stopping the carriage, Amanda punches Pauline in the nose. Pauline looks shocked. She jumps out of the carriage. 

"You mad woman!" 

"Feel your nose! You're bleeding! That will heal in seconds!" 

"Keep away from me!" 

Amanda sees Pauline's face heal. She can tell Pauline realizes her understanding of the world doesn't account for this phenomenon. 

"Just take me home." 

"I can't. You're dead to them." 

"No, I'm not!" 

"What are you going to tell them?" 

Pauline thinks for a moment. 

"I'll tell them what I told you. The man who tried to kill me is free. There can't be too many women like us." 

Amanda thinks over the situation. Whoever triggered her Immortality could be responsible for the five other women who have disappeared in Paris over the past two months. 

"All right. I'll take you home. It's very important that you tell no one about us." 

* * *

**Present Time**

They enter Pauline's penthouse apartment and Pauline sits in a chair. Amanda looks at Nick, then Pauline. 

"Why don't you tell us about it?" 

"I had just finished talking to a client. _Pro bono_ work. I was walking to a car when I heard a woman scream. I soon found this man trying to force this woman into a van. There was some masonry lying on the ground, so I picked up a large piece and smashed it against his head." 

Nick looks into her eyes. 

"This is the first time you killed someone?" 

"I didn't kill him. I triggered his Immortality." 

Amanda realizes another psychotic Immortal is in the world. "You should have said something sooner. Maybe he's still in the morgue." 

"Amanda no!" 

Nick interjects, "He's a serial killer and an Immortal." 

"In America extra-judicial, summary execution may be routine but in the civilized world the death penalty is never an acceptable option." 

"What about there can be only one?" 

"That's an outmoded principal from the barbaric past! Mortals in civilized societies have given up such brutal ways! If you want to go by Immortal rules then you should take this as a new life and a new chance!" 

Amanda says in a firm voice, "There's no such rule." 

"There should be. I'm setting a precedent. He paid with his life for his crime! It's a new beginning!" 

"I'm not going to argue with you! Nick and I are going to look for him. If we find him he's dead." 

Amanda walks quickly out of the apartment with Nick following. 

When they enter the elevator Nick asks, "Has she always been this annoying?" 

Amanda smiles. "Yes." 

* * *

**Paris, 1898**

Amanda sits in a courtroom. They had charged the man who attacked Pauline with murder. When Pauline returned alive they changed the charge to kidnapping and attempted murder. The man in the docket is tall and handsome. The most remarkable thing about his appearance is his fiery red hair and beard. Pauline is in the witness box, having just given her account of what happened. The defense attorney stands. He's a tall man with a medium build and a handsome face. His voice is one of those golden voices that men listen to and women love. 

"Miss de Romanet, let me first say I have the greatest respect for your father. I don't think there is a lawyer in France who doesn't." 

"That's very kind sir." 

"To the case at hand; according to your testimony you went willingly for a carriage ride with Mr. Boyau. Did your parents know Mr. Boyau?" 

"No, sir." 

"I see." 

"Then you claim he stopped the carriage so you could take a walk in the country." 

"Yes, sir." 

"Spring time in the country is very romantic, no?" Pauline says nothing. "Miss de Romanet, I asked you a question." 

"Oh, I'm sorry sir, I thought you were just making a statement." 

"Would you agree with that statement?" 

"There are those who think so." 

"Do you think so?" 

"Yes." 

"So you are alone with a handsome man in a romantic setting. A man whom your parents don't know. Is that correct?" 

"Yes." 

"Then the next person to see you is Miss Montrose. Is that correct?" 

"Yes." 

"So only Mr. Boyau and you could possibly know what happened. Is that correct?" 

"Yes." 

"Miss de Romanet, would your parents have approved of this ride in the country?" 

"I cannot tell what is in their minds or speculate on how they would react to a hypothetical situation." 

Pauline's evasiveness impresses Amanda. 

"Come now, Miss de Romanet, you have known your parents all your life. Surely you have some idea if they would approve or not." 

The prosecutor rises. "I object to this line of questioning. It is irrelevant to the case." 

"No, it is very relevant to the case. A young lady secretly goes off somewhere with a young gentleman. She disappears for two days. The gentleman is charged with murder. Then the young lady returns with a woman of very questionable character. The young lady claims she is brutally assaulted yet there isn't a mark on her. I think this is very relevant." 

The judge nods. "You may proceed." 

"Miss de Romanet, your parents wouldn't have approved would they?" 

"Probably not without a chaperone." 

"Thank you. Did you decline any improper advances by Mr. Boyau?" 

"No." 

"Then you approved?" 

"No! He just attacked me!" 

"So you continue with your claim he attacked you for no apparent motive." 

"Yes!" 

"Motive is very important Miss. Every creature, no matter how small, has a motive for everything they do. For example a woman might falsely accuse a man because he didn't take her home after she declined his advances. Revenge is a strong motivation. A young woman who gets swept up in the moment may be more intimate with a man than she normally would be. Preserving a reputation is another strong motivation." 

The prosecutor rises again. "I strongly object! He is making a speech, not asking a question." 

The judge faces the defense attorney. "If you have a question, ask it." 

"Miss de Romanet, can you think of any motive why Mr. Boyau would attack you?" 

"Maybe he just enjoyed it." 

"I'm glad you got over your reluctance to speculate." 

A couple of men in the courtroom laugh. The judge bangs his gavel and calls for order. 

"I have no further questions." 

  
Amanda is in the witness box after the prosecutor has just questioned her. Now it's the defense's turn. 

"Mrs. Montrose. You stated you've never seen Miss de Romanet before you met her as you were driving along a country road?" 

"That's right, and it's Miss Montrose." 

"I beg your pardon Miss, Montrose." He gives a gracious bow and Amanda gives a nod. 

"Miss Montrose, how do you sustain yourself?" 

"From an inheritance." 

"From whom?" 

"A rich aunt." 

"And what was her name?" 

"Amanda, Amanda Darieux." 

"Would it surprise you to learn the police believe you sustain yourself through swindling and thievery?" 

"I object to this!" the prosecutor interjects. "Miss Montrose is not on trial here!" 

"The issue in this case is credibility!" 

The judge looks at the prosecutor then at the defense attorney. "I'll allow this." 

"Miss Montrose?" 

"I'd be shocked." 

"Miss Montrose, you are under oath. The police have suspected you in a number of thefts and swindles. They have even charged you on three occasions." 

"But I was never convicted." 

"The question was not if you were convicted, but if you would be surprised if the police believed you were a thief and and swindler!" 

"I misunderstood the question. Thank you for restating it." There is some laughter in the courtroom. The judge calls for order. 

"So you would not be surprised to learn the police believe you to be a thief and a swindler!" 

"No." 

"Do you also know that a generation ago an Amanda Darieux, whose description is close to yours, was also believed to be a thief and a swindler?" 

"Not my dear Auntie!" More laughter in the courtroom. The judge again calls for order. 

"Miss Montrose, since you met Miss de Romanet you have spent much time together." 

"The incident formed a closeness between us." 

"I see. Thank you, Miss Montrose." 

Amanda feels she did better than her inquisitor in this exchange. The rest of the trial is dull until the defense's closing argument. 

"What do we have here? I confess I do not know. While the prosecution will not make a similar confession, it is obvious they don't know either. 

"First, they claim my client has committed murder. Even the prosecution had to confess Miss de Romanet is much too healthy to be a murder victim. So they change the charge to attempted murder. What do they base this on? The word of a young woman who can have any number of reasons for fabricating her story. This story is corroborated by a woman who the police believe is an expert at fabricating stories. It must be remembered the accusations against this young man are ones that are easy to make but very difficult to defend against. Anyone can make similar accusations against anyone in this courtroom." 

  
The verdict is not guilty. Amanda is furious. Pauline is philosophical about the verdict. 

"What kind of justice is this?" Amanda demanded. 

"That is the way of the law. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose. The case against him wasn't very good. I don't think we helped our side." 

"I thought we did well." 

"If we were in the docket we would have done well. He only had to cause a credible doubt on our version of the story. Clever retorts make it look as if we viewed it as some kind of clever game." 

"I don't believe you are so calm about this!" 

"I come from a family of lawyers. Perhaps he has learned his lesson." 

"What about the women who didn't heal?" 

"We don't know for sure he's responsible for the other missing women." 

* * *

**Present Time**

Two years later everyone knew for sure. After the trial the murderer moved to Leon where he killed three more women before the police caught up with him. 

Amanda rushes to the morgue. Nick uses his Private Investigator badge, some fast talk, and a large bill, to get them inside the morgue. As Amanda feared, "The Cowboy" is gone. They drive around the area for a couple of hours without finding him. 

Nick and Amanda spent most of the next day trying to track down Roland Cuffaut, a.k.a. "The Cowboy". He never returned to his apartment or van. He did empty his bank accounts. 

Nick and Amanda sit in The Sanctuary. Amanda smokes a cigar as Nick nurses a drink. 

"Amanda, do you think Pauline could be harboring him?" 

"Why would she do that?" 

"She didn't like the idea of us going after him." 

"Harboring fugitives is over the top, even for her." 

"I want to go over there anyway." 

"It couldn't hurt I suppose. I'm going to hit the streets. Maybe I'll bump into him." 

  
Amanda drives the streets for the next three hours. He isn't anywhere near what used to be his stalking grounds. Amanda drives back to The Sanctuary where the business looks brisk and she senses Nick is inside. When Amanda enters she sees Nick at the head of the staircase. She waves to him. They meet in Nick's suite. 

"He's well hidden wherever he is." 

"I went over to Pauline's. She had a friend with her. That guy and his samurai sword met me at the door." 

"That's typical Pauline." 

"She gave me a political lecture. The guy she was with looked as bored with it as I was. I don't think she knows anything." 

"She hasn't changed a bit. She doesn't like the game but she's never long without a man for protection." 

* * *

It has been a month since Pauline triggered Cuffaut's Immortality. There haven't been any more murders similar to the ones attributed to "The Cowboy". Amanda figures he probably came to a bad end when he crossed paths with an Immortal just as psychotic. 

Amanda senses another Immortal. A minute later Nick enters with a newspaper in his hand and a serious look on his face. Nick shows her a newspaper article of a story from Brest about a woman who was found dead. It was the second such murder in the last two weeks. 

"I did some asking. They found a couple of shoe prints made by cowboy boots." 

"The Cowboy?" 

"The police assume it's a copy cat. We know better. I'm going to go to Brest. I told Bert it's a good _pro bono_ case." 

"Mind if I tag along?" 

"Two radar sets are better than one." Five minutes later Amanda and Nick are on their way to Brest. 

They spend that night looking for "The Cowboy". The next evening they drive the streets as they discuss strategies for finding Cuffaut. Nick spots a police car with flashing lights in his rear view mirror and Nick pulls out of the way. The police car doesn't have on its siren; a low-key approach. Nick instinctively follows the police car. A block later he senses another Immortal. Nick double parks the car. Nick and Amanda run after the police officers as they run inside a café. 

When Amanda and Nick enter the café, they see Pauline held at knife-point by Cuffaut. The police officers demand Cuffaut release the woman. Pauline asks Cuffaut to put down the knife but he tightens his grip on Pauline and presses the knife closer to her throat. Pauline uses joint manipulation to get the knife from her throat and pushes Cuffaut away. The police fire a fusillade of bullets at Cuffaut. He falls dead. 

After the police leave Amanda questions Pauline. 

"What happened?" 

"When I read in the newspaper about the murders here I figure it was Cuffaut. So I set out looking for him. I found him and offered to buy him a drink. I stepped into the bathroom and called the police. Then I told him what he was." 

"So that's why he pulled that suicide stunt." 

"I suppose so." 

"Good!" 

"I don't like the way you said that." 

"There is only one way to end this." Amanda and Nick quickly walk to their car. 

Pauline follows and continues the argument. "Amanda this isn't the way!" 

"You had your chance. Two women are dead." 

"That's not fair!" 

"Life isn't fair. Ask the women he killed." Amanda and Nick get into their rental car and drive away. 

  
Amanda and Nick drive to the morgue and quickly sense another Immortal. They spot a figure who ducks into an alley. They stop the car and step out. Another car approaches; a black Mercedes with an Immortal in it. Amanda wonders if it's going to be more complicated, but is relieved when she sees Pauline. Amanda considers her a minor nuisance. 

"Where's your Rolls?" 

"Amanda, you can't do this!" 

"You can't interfere!" 

"This is not the way! I'm not going to just stand by!" 

"Nick, take her for a cup of coffee, hold her, or shoot her....but keep her out of my way." 

"You got it." 

Amanda walks into the alley. She hears a brief scuffle behind her. She can't see him yet. 

"Come out!" 

Cuffaut comes out from behind some trash cans. "You're like me?" 

"Yes!" 

"I guess I'll have to cut your head off then." Cuffaut reaches inside his cowboy boot and takes out a hunting knife. Amanda takes out her broadsword. Cuffaut steps back into a set of trash cans. Amanda swings and knocks the knife from Cuffaut's hand. Cuffaut picks up a trash can cover, but Amanda slices it in half with her broadsword. With another swing she knocks the trash can cover from his hand. Then with a two handed swing with her broadsword she takes Cuffaut's head. 

She waits for The Quickening. It's short but vicious, convincing her even more that she did what had to be done. 

* * *

**Epilogue**

Amanda steps out of the alley. Pauline looks at her with contempt. "Happy?" 

"No, but satisfied." 

"You don't even try to consider there must be a better way." 

"Your way?" 

"The civilized way." 

"Your way is better than mine in every way, except one. My way works!" 

With that Amanda and Nick step into their car and drive away. 

**THE END**

* * *

© 2000   
Please send comments to the author! 

* * *


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